AD&D - DMGR6 - The Complete Book of Villains (2e)

A Compendium of Villains

we nave usea a numDer or examples No. of Attacks: 1
throughout this book to illustrate different THACO: 16
approaches to creating unforgettable villains. Damage: ld8 (w/long sword)
This section presents the example villains Movement 12
used in this book, as well as a few others you
may add to your campaign.The compendium Occupation
includes Darkon, who we met in the section
”Recurring Villains.” Pengo is introduced in Darkon is a former ranger and thief whu
the section “Allying With the Villain.” Mervis now serves as the constable and captain of a
makes her first appearance, but is an example
of a true-neutral villain described in the sec- Objective
tion “Villains For Every Alignment.” Asoozel
is a tanar’ri who appears in the section ”Vil- Darkon tablish a thieves’ guiia
lain as Servant.” She also provides an exam-
ple of a villain created from a MONSTROUS operating under the protection of his police
COMPENDIUM@entry. Thoto is the bounty
hunter used to illustrate ”The Rival.” force. He plans to extort money from local

Three villainous organizations are also pre- merchants and business people to secure their
sented in this section.The Corn Kings provide
an exampleof a villainousnetwork. The Bree is safety from the thieves (which he controls).
a villainous hierarchy. The Levellers is also a
hierarchy, providing an example of how a Motive
chaotic good organization becomes a force of
evil. Some of the details of both the individuals Darkon is driven by an obsessive need for
and the organizations have been left open to power. He also has a strongneed for autonomy.
allow easy transition into your campaign.
Personality
Darkoil
Dominant Trait 1:Sadistic
Human Malt Dominant Trait 2: Opportunistic
3rd Level Fighter, 9th Level Thief Contradictory Trait: Generous
Neutral Evil
Darkon seeks any opportunity to increase
Strength: 15 his personal power or gain advantage over an
Dexterity: 18 opponent, using any means to advance his
Constitution: 8 interests. His sadism inspires fear among his
Intelligence: 5 subordinates.
Wisdom: 17
Charisma: 6 Strangely,Darkon is extremelygenerous, often
giving his men the first pick of any loot, and

bestowing large gifts to those who serve him or
may be of service in the future. Darkon also has

the odd habit of making generousg&s of money
to his enemiesand the familiesof his victims.He
seeswealth as a tool to win men’s hearts.

Attitudes and Behaviors Surroundings

Darkon views people as opportunities or Darkon has quarters in the castle with the
obstacles. His emotional commitment to peo- king.
ple only extends to where they might serve
his interests. He treats friends and allies with History
extraordinary generosity. He secured his posi-
tion at the head of his thieves’ guild by only Darkon was raised by his mother, who was a
demanding a small stipend from his men. ranger. She spent her life protecting a large
Darkon treats his enemies with a savage cru- stretch of forest near Bunder. Darkon’s mother
elty that inspires as much loyalty from his pressured him to pursue a life in the forest. His
men as his generosity. strange delight in torturing animals was met
with increasingly severe punishments, which
Tastes and Preferences only seemed to fuel his sadistic nature. He
wanted to leave the forest, but his mother was
The constable’s tastes are refined but not determined that he should learn her craft. After
ostentatious. His clothing is always of the years of resistance, Darkon finally threw him-
highest craftsmanship but not decorative. self into the study of wood lore.

Darkon’s mother passed away three years
later. The young ranger was free from his

A Compendium of Villains 101

1

mother’s watchful eye, and decided to save with the royal crest. He wears jack boots, and
somemoney and leave the forest.He applied his carriesa long sword and hunting knife.
mother’s teaching to stalk and rob travelers. He
enjoyed tracking his prey and ultimately killing Nonweapon Proficiencies: leatherworKing,
them and hanging them upside down like game mountaineering, running, rope use
animals. His abilitiesbolstered his confidence;
each dead body reaffirmed his power. Darkon spent many summers in his child-
hood running the forest trails and scaling
During his search for money to start his mountains. Under his mother’s tutelage, he
new life, Darkon tracked and cornered a gained proficiency with leatherworking and
small gang of brigands. He realized that the learned to handle rope. With the exception of
group would be useful to him alive and gave rope use, these skills have all fallen into dis-
them the choice to either serve him or die. use, and he makes any proficiencv check with
Two of the thieves lost their lives before the a penalty of -1.
remaining men accepted Darkon as their
leader. s: sling, lasso, short
bow, short sword, long sword
After a series of increasingly audacious
plans, Darkon’s gang eventually became the Darkon learned the sling and the lasso as a
thieves’ guild of Bunder. The guild was child. His mother taught the basics of sword-
eventually driven from the region, and play, but he was not adept with blades until he
Darkon traveled alone for months before hir- became a robber. Darkon continues to use a
ing on a s a member of the constabulary, lasso; combined with a successfulrope use pro-
which he now leads. ficiency check, all lasso attacks are made at +2.

Network Thieving Skills: Pick Pockets: 50%, Open
Locks: 67%,Find/Remove Traps: 55%,Move
Darkon commands the 20 soldiers of the Silently: 60%, Hide in Shadows: 46%,
city‘spolice force.He also commands eight men Detect/Hear Noise: 20%, Climb Walls: 65%,
who serve as the king’s personal guard. He has Read Languages:45%,Backstab x4.
direct access to the king and an increasing num-
ber of contacts in the city‘s underworl? Pengo

Appearance Human Male
7th Level Fighter
Darkon is large and intimidating, and has Lawful Evil
coarse manners. His face is ruddy and clean
shaven. His red hair is straight and cropped Wisdom: 15
at the shoulder. He smiles only when 14
involved in some bloody act of cruelty. His 8
dark brown eyes are devoid of feeling. He 14
rarely stands straight or still. 16

Darkon commonly wears forest-greenstud-
d leather armor under a tabard embroidered

k

!

Charisma: 14 Attitudes and Behaviors
Hit Points: 38
AC: 5 Pengo believes that all races are either on
3/2 his side or his mortal enemies. He spends
No. of Attacks: 14 much of his time pursuing missionary work.
THACO: ld8 (w/bastard sword) When his efforts do not take root, he extermi-
Damage: 12 nates the unconverted.
Movement:
Pengo is dutifully kind toward those not
Occupation yet exposed to his truth.

Pengo is a renegade knight and champion Tnstesand Preferences
of a lawful good church.
Pengo takes great pleasure in self-denial.
Objective He primarily survives on bread and water.
He takes pride in his magnificent and flam-
Pengo seeks to convert all intelligent crea- boyant plate armor, which he believes exem-
tures to the faith of the lawful good church, plifies the glory of his god.
and destroy any who refuse.
Surroundings
Mlotive
Penno’s base of operations is the small farm-
Pengo is driven by a need for order and v
aggression. He takes any action necessary to
eradicate all that is not good and lawful. ing town where he grew up and now rules.
However, he spends much of his time on pil-
Personality grimages, missionary campaigns, and quests.

Dominant Trait 1:Intolerant History
Dominant Trait 2: Arrogant
Contradictory Trait: Kind Pengo was raised in a small farming town as
an able fighter and competent horseman. He
Pengo possesses the worst traits of a cru- volunteered to assist a band of knights from a
sader. He is completely intolerant of any- lawful good church in an effort to drive raiding
one who not good and lawful, and often goblins from the territory. He was decorated
behaves in a manner befitting an evil for valor. What he learned of the lawful good
chaotic. He is impervious to criticism, and religion before his return home satisfied his
questions the piety of clerics who speak desperate need for order, which had been
against him. aggravated by the loss of his community. He
committed himself to rebuilding his town in
Pengo is often kind to lawful good people. the image of this lawful good ideal.
He has built an orphanage to raise children
within the church of Gonroll. Pengo’s uncompromising fanaticism and
natural aggressiveness turned the town into
an oppressive military theocracy. He had no
qualms about annihilating neutral and evil

A Compendium of Villains 103

people. He magnanimously condemned the broad sword, horseman’s mace, heavy horse
good chaotics to slavery, which he believed lance, mancatcher, composite long bow
would ultimately teach them the value of law
and service. Since his boyhood, Pengo played at com-
bat. He could be seen in his family’s fields,
If news of his crimes reaches the lawful charging the length of the furrows with a
good church, he will be brought to trial or tree-branch lance propped across the neck of
excommunicated, in which case it is likely a plowhorse. When he became old enough to
Pengo will no longer recognize the authority handle real weapons, he applied himself to a
of the church. knight‘s tools of war.

Network Mewis

Pengo recruited a cadre of loyal knights Female Human
from the surrounding area who assist him in 8th Level Wizard
reforming the community. He has acquain- True Neutral
tances among the true knights of the lawful
good church. Strength: 13
Dexterity: 13
Appearance Constitution: 16
Intelligence: 17
Pengo is a tall, thin man with brilliant blue Wisdom: 14
eyes; his expression reflects passion and Charisma: 12
determination. His blonde hair is cropped
short. He carries himself upright with the nat- Hit Points: 34
ural bearing of a military leader. AC: 10
No. of Attacks: 1
Pengo wears silver plate mail elaborately THACO: 18
decorated with images and symbols of his Damage: ld4 (w/dagger)
church. His warhorse’s full barding is simi- Movement: 12
larly decorated.
Occupation
Nonweapon Proficiencies: agriculture,
armorer, blind-fighting, animal handling Mervis is a judge and scholar, and is occa-
sionally consulted for diplomatic missions by
Pengo became adept at agriculture and ani- the king.
mal handling on his family farm. He also
learned to construct armor, spending over a Objective
year making his own elaborate gear, as well
as the barding for his horse. Curiously, all of Mervis believes the forces of good have
the children of his town gained a certain pro- gained disproportionate power and actively
ficiency in blind-fighting. works to restore the balance between good

Weapon Proficiencies: bastard sword,

and evil. She believes that by forcibly breed- History
ing orcs and humans in the city’s jail that she
will increase the population of half-orcs. She Raised in the lap of luxury as the only
is convinced that more half-orcs in the cam- - child of an aristocratic couple, Mervis
munity will create a greater tolerance between avoided mundane work and buried herself
the bitter enemies of humans and orcs. in academic interests. Her extraordinary
learning earned her the position as judge;
Motive she also had an affinity for magic. She never
obsessed over magic, viewing it ap an exten-
The judge is driven by a strong need for affil- sion of her learning.
iation and understanding. This manifests itself
in her desire to be accepted, and accept others Mervis’ open-mindedness, combined
regardless of their alignment or agenda. with her exposure to enemies of the state
through the justice system, has led her to
Personality betray the king on several occasions.
Mervis thinks in terms of the ”balance”
Dominant Trait 1: Duplicitous rather than the individual lives lost
Dominant Trait 2: Manipulative through her treachery.
Contradictory Trait: Compassionate
Mervis’ father was one of the first to fall
Attitudes ;urd Behaviors to her moral lassitude. He had been a diplo-
mat responsible for extending the influence
Mervis believes in equality. She believes of the good kingdom. An orc assassin sent
there is room for all creatures and behavior, from an enemy empire had been caught
and that none should gain supremacy to the and brought before Mervis for judgment.
detriment of others. She tends to side with the She interviewed the prisoner in his cell.
underdog in a conflict, regardless of issues of During the conversation, she learned that
right and wrong, or good and evil. She treats her father was the assassin’s target. She
all people courteously. came to the conclusion that her kingdom
had gained too much power; she figured
Tastes and Preferences that an assassin sent hundreds of miles to
kill her father indicated an imbalance. She
Mervis likes to be seen at social affairs. She deliberately left open the door’s lock to the
adopts habits and fashions of other races and prisoner’s cell. Later that night, her father
cultures to promote her worldly outlook and was found dead.
gain the acceptance of others.
Network
Surroundings
Mervis is well connected in all levels of
Mervis has a large dwelling filled with bad society. In addition to having access to the
art and artifacts from various cultures in a king and his court, Mervis has contacts
fashionable section of town. among her kingdom’s enemies and the crimi-
nal elements of her city.

A Compendium of Villains 105

Appearance Asoozel

Mervis has long golden hair which she Tanar’ri, Lesser->uccutms
wears in braids. She is tall and has a pale
complexion. Her expression is generally Intelligence: 16
open, interested, and warm. She has an aris-
tocratic bearing and carriesherself with confi- Chaotic evil
dence. She wears the latest fashions and the
odd items she buys in remote lands. 0

Nonweapon Proficiencies: spellcraft, 12, F118 (C)
ancient history, reading/writing, etiquette,
modern lang- uag- es, ancient languages Hit Dice: 6

Most of Mervis’ youth was spent in her Hit Point 30
parents’ library. When she was drawn away
from her books, it was usually to attend an THACO: 15
important social function. Her proficiencies
of history and languages, as well as her No. of Attacks: 2
innate sense of etiquette, aid her in diplo-
matic work. Damage: 1-3/1-3 (fists)

Weapon Proficiencies: dagge Special Attacks: Energy drain

Mervis has never had much experiencewith SpecialDefenses: +2 or better weapons
physical conflicts, and has never actually used
the dagger she carries for protection. to hit, immune to fire,

Mervis’ Spells: never surprised
Level 1:jump, protection from evil, audible
glamour, identify,mending, sleep, shocking grasp, Magic Resistance: 30%
detect undead, hypnotism; Level 2: summon s (4’47
swarm, improved phantasmal force, protection Size:
from cantrips, bind, mirror image, hypnotic pat-
tern, alter self, Leomund’s trap; Level 3: monster Morale: 14
summoning I , blink, flame arrow, hold person,
phantom steed, delude, gust of wind, wind wall, Occupation
clairaudience, item, explosive runes; Level 4: solid
fog, emotion, stoneskin, massmorph,phantasmal Asoozel is a succubus, a lesser tanar’ri who
killer, minor globe of invulnerability, remove fills the pits of the Abyss with mortals she has
curse,shadow monsters,wall of ice, shout, Evard’s destroyed;
black tentacles.
Objective

Unlike her sisters, Asoozel does not undo
moral men by tempting them with her beauty
and draining their energy in passionate
embraces. She is committed to luring good
and neutral mortals to the side of evil before
destroying them.

Mo

Asoozel is motivated by a need for power
over the will of mortals, and her innate
aggressive desires to destroy good through
temptation.

H

Personality History

Dominant Trait 1:Manipulative Asoozel is young by tanar’ri standards.
Dominant Trait 2: Patient From her earliest centuries, she took an inter-
Contradictory Trait: Mischievous est in forms of seduction beyond the physical.
She uses ESP to gauge her victim’s weak-
Asoozel manipulates men, seducing them nesses. Asoozel takes great pride in her abil-
to rebellion against law and goodness. She ity to tempt mortals. In fact, she only uses her
has an impish and dark sense of humor, and spell-like power of suggestion or her ability to
loves to toy with her victims. charm people if her plot is jeopardized. She
does not refrain from using these abilities on
Attitudes and Behaviors the friends or acquaintances of her targeted
victim if it will help push him closer to evil.
Asoozel believes all mortals are potential
fodder for the tanar’ri in their Blood War When she appears as a young genie to her
against the baatezu of the lower planes. She victim, Asoozel begins by serving her ”new
enjoys victimizing humans, finding other master” faithfully, twisting her instructions as
races lackingin passion. She treats each of her the victim grows more comfortable with her
victims as a close friend and ally. She plays on presence.She focuses her energy on manipulat-
the character weaknessesof each victim, gain- ing her victim’s circumstances,making small
ing their devotion and luring them to evil and moral compromisesincreasinglyattractiveuntil
chaos. She kills her victims by draining their the victim realizes that he has committed a
energy. murder or some other heinous act. If her victim
somehow detects her true alignment, she
Tastes and Preferences explains it as part of a curse that is dispelled
when she completesher service to her master.
As a creature of the lower planes, Asoozel
loves her work above all else. She has little Asoozel enjoys strife and discord in any
interest in material goods, food, or creature group with which she travels. She will not
comforts except to the extent which they help start or perpetuate such problems in an obvi-
unhinge her prey. ous manner. She feeds the fires of unrest by
reinforcing peoples’ discontent beneath a
Surroundings guise of helpfulness.

Asoozel prefers to assumethe guise of a genie. Asoozelrecently (300 years ago) challenged
She often follows a group of travelers before a glabrezu to a contest to determine who had
allowing them to find her old oil lamp.She gen- greater mastery over the wills of mortals. The
erally prefers to work in cities for the wide vari- true tanar’ri agreed to the tournament, whose
ety of potential victims, but occasionallyhaunts winner will be decided by a nahfeshnee on a
the retreats and monasteries of devout clerics, throne of flame in the Mountain of Woe.
who alwaysoffer greater challenge. Abrizna, the glabrezu, is in danger of losing
the contest, which ends in six months. He
may begin to interfere directlywith Asoozel’s
adventures.

A Compendium of Villains 107

Network Strength: 16
Dexterity: 17
Asoozel has gained some notoriety in the Constitution: 15
Abyss over the last 300 years, but has spent Intelligence: 14
most of her time in the Prime Material Plane. Wisdom: 16
Her only contact with her kind was a balor Charisma: 7
she once gated when she was in danger of
destruction. She has also had a few unpleas- THACO: 15
ant encounters with Abrizna. Damage: ld6 (w/short bow)
Movement: 12
Appearance
Occupation
Asoozel is short and prefers to take the Thoto is a bounty hunter ana mercenary.
form of an 11-year-old human girl. She often
appears with a purple turban, beautifully Obje
embroidered silk shirt, and billowing pan-
taloons. Her face is bright and cheerful, and Thoto does not have a general plan, plot, or
she has large brown eyes. conspiracy. He seeks out opportunities to test
his mastery of his craft.
Special Abilities
Motive
Asoozel's statisticsare drawn directly from
the entry for succubus in the MONSTROUS Thoto is driven by an insatiable need for
COMPENDIUMmOuter Planes Appendix. She achievement and desire for autonomy. He
differs from the standard succubus only in constantlytests his abilities by pitting himself
her somewhat diminutive size. against dangerous competitors.

Asoozel has the following spell-like pow- Personality
ers: darkness 15' radius, infravision, teleport
without error, telepathy. Dominant Trait 1:Competitive
Dominant Trait 2: Arrogant
Asoozel can use the followingpowers uiict: Contradictory Trait: Superstitious

per round, one at a time, at will:become ethereal Thoto is excessively competitive. He con-
(as if using oil of etherealness), charm person, siders every job a test of his worth and resorts
clairaudience,E S E plane shift,shape change,sugges- to any low trick to complete his assignment.
tion. She may also attempt to gate a singlebalor His self-confidencemanifestsas arrogant con-
tempt for competitorsor prey he finds unwor-
once per day with a 40%chance of success.

Thoto

Male Half-El
6th Level Fighter/bth Level Thief
Neutral Evil

108 Chapter Nine

thy of his effort. this environment and quickly earned his
Thoto is extraordinarily superstitious. His place among the savage fighters. Tung taught
Thoto that loyalty should only extend as far
life is governed by a hundred odd rules and as a patron’s purse strings, and that small
rituals of his own invention; he has set pris- mistakes can mean death.
oners free because of his fear of bad luck.
When work was scarce, the band ambushed
Attitudes and Behaviors travelers, which developed Thoto’s skills as a
thief and fighter. Thoto worked his way to sec-
Thoto has no sense of compassion, viewing ond-in-command by defeating each member of
others as yardsticks to measure his ability. He the band in combat. Thoto also proved that he
knows no loyalty beyond the contracts he had exceeded even his master in cool self-inter-
makes with employers. He has alternately est by acceptinghis firstcommissionas a bounty
hired himself to two divided parties in a dis- hunter: he betrayed the band to a local ruler.
pute, until one finally gained the foresight to
preclude such an agreement in his contract. Thoto built his reputation by accepting con-
tracts of increasing difficulty. He found captur-
Tastes and Preferences ing fugitivesalive more challengingthan killing
them, and inadvertently developed a false rep-
Thoto’s tastes and preferences are ordinary, utation for ”kindness.” In truth, Thoto kills
with a number of odd exceptions driven by his without a second thought. He simply finds the
superstitions. For example, he always keeps a challenge of subduingprey more exciting.
lock of hair from each of his victims threaded
into a belt. He prefers burnt bread, and believes Thoto generally commands a high price for
it is good luck to eat somebefore a hunt. his services, though he accepts interesting work
for a nominal amount. He deals fairly with his
Surroundings patrons, but has no qualms about killing a cheat
or hiring himself to a former patron’s enemy.
Thoto avoids the company of others and
prefers the trails of the wilderness to streets of Network
a city. However, he rarely passes up the
opportunity to appear at large competitions Thoto is well-connected with the law-
of archery or swordsmanship. enforcement organizationsof various govern-
ments who hire bounty hunters. He also
Thoto has a “permanently” rented room in a knows a fair number of wealthy individuals
smallcountry innwhich serves as his address. who have required his services. Additionally,
Thoto has a large number of enemies that
Hidory consists of the countless individuals he has
captured for his clients.
Thoto was orphaned at the age of nine and
not adopted because of his mixed blood. He Appearance
was raised as a squire to a band of mercenar-
ies held together by the forceful leadership of Thoto has a long scar running down his face
Tung, the strongest member. Thoto thrived in from his forehead, across his nose, and down to
his chin. His back is marred by lashmarks from

A Compendium of Villains 109

his youth with the band of mercenaries. His hair the harvest. The Corn Kings control most of
has receded, leaving a dramatic widow’s peak. the arable land in the kingdom. They provide
His face is generally cold and expressionless. inexpensive grain and corn to merchants and
freemen. Their fields are tilled by undead and
Thoto carries himself with the balance and somnambulate humans. The cult provides a
self-awareness of a cat. He dresses inconspic- path to wealth and power to the plantation
uously while on a mission. He prefers loose owners, and a quasi-religious way of life for
fitting clothes that allow him to hide small the peasants in their region.
tools and weapons. In combat, he wears hide
armor and carries a body shield. How Do They Acquire Resources?

iuonweapon rroriciencies: set snares, ais- The Corn Kings obtain their land and labor
by coercing the peasant population to give
guise, bowyer/fletcher, tracking, cooking- their property to the cult. Resistant landhold-
ers are found working in the Corn King fields
All of Thoto’s skills serve to make him as zombies. This practice has been so effective
more independent. He uses his talents for that the cult has more land than it requires.
tracking and setting snares to catch both his
dinner and fugitives.

Weapon Proficiencies: short bow, short How Are They Organized?
sword, net, bastard sword, quarterstaff,
throwing axe The Corn Kings consist of a dozen promi-
nent land owners. They have no formal hier-
Thoto prefers his short sword and net in archy, but meet to fix prices and plan levels of
close quarters, but he is equally skilled with production. When economic conflicts of inter-
bow, bastard sword, or quarterstaff.He strikes est threaten to divide them, their shared reli-
with the flat side of his bladed weaDons to
subdue his quarry Do They Have an Advantage?

Thieving Skills: Pick Pockets: 70%,Open For generations, the families of the Corn
Locks: 57%,Find/Remove Traps: 45%, Move Kings have studied wizardly and clerical arts.
Silently: 52%, Hide in Shadows: 47%, They use these abilities to coerce small peasant
Detect/Hear Noise: 20%, Climb Walls: 9270, families and landowners to sell their property.
Read Languages: 30%,Backstab x3. The cult employs its dark magic to control the
minds of the peasants to build a cheap labor
The Corn Kings force. Rebellion is quickly quelled, and trou-
blemakers turn up woiking the fields as
Cult networh undead. This undead labor force works day
and night, resulting in lower costs and higher
What Do They D crop yields. No small farmer can competewith
the prices of the cult-grown grain.
The Corn Kings are a group of villainous
plantation owners who worship a dark god of The Corn Kings evaluate everything in

terms of long-reaching consequences; they cultists build their wealth and perpetuate
can take months or years to make decisions. their life style. The peasants are provided
They have never faced a strong or well-orga- with employment and a potent religion. Their
nized resistance, a definite weakness in a con- god seems to be pleased with the bloody sac-
frontation with a new adversar.7 rifices and dehumanizing treatment of the
laborers, and rewards the Corn Kings with
How Do They Plan for the Future? bountiful crom.

The Corn Kings work together to control Who Are the Prominent Characters?
the supply and price of their products. They
have been very successful in ensuring the Jaret, LE, human female, 15th level cleric
prosperity and longevity of their organiza- (Jaret is the most influential of the Corn
tion. They have recently hired their slaves to Kings. She is high priestess in the harvest cult
other merchants and tradesmen. This pro- and matriarch of her family.)
gram has been met with a variety of reactions
ranging from interest to disgust. Typical Corn King, LE, human, 6th to 10th
level cleric or wizard.
How Do They Establish Conformity?
Typical Overseer, NE, human male, 5tn
In the rural hills of the kingdom, the cult of level fighter.
the dark harvest god has existed in one form
or another for thousands of years. The peas- Typical Zombie Worker (Corn King zom-
ants fear but voluntarily perpetuate the bies have the statistics of common zombies,
arcane rituals and customs of the Corn Kings. but the intelligence of juju zombies.)

Seasonal celebrationsand sacrifices, as well The Bree
as regularly observed customs and rituals,
contribute to the organization’s maintenance. Hierarchical secret police force.
Every family raises their second child to serve
in the fields of the plantation masters. The What Do They Deliver?
senior members of the cult are revered as
shamen, but have no specificauthority or rule The Bree is a highly secretiveorganization of
except to preside over the ritual sacrifices psionicistsand wizards that is the secret police of
which ensure a good harvesi the kingdom.It providessecurity to the king and
the kingdom from internal and external threats.
.How Do Thev Satisfv Their Audiences? The members of this elite group have also built
# personal security and wealth by parlaying their
positions into personal profit.
The Corn Kings serve their clients, the go
ernment, themselves, the peasants, and their This secret society is primarily funded
god. Their clients benefitfrom the low cost through government taxes. The Bree has also
and high quality of their grain. The govern- set up a number of phony businesses and ille-
ment enjoys the high taxes produced from the gal operationswhich have generated an untold
efficient and prosperous use of the land. The

A Compendium of Villains 111

fortune. The Bree recruits its members at an ensure their organization’s continued exis-
early age from the kingdom’s schools. tence. Additionally, this group has instigated
wars and treaties which it believes are in the
How Are They Organized? best interest of the kingdom.

The Bree is organized as a rigid hierarchy How Do They Establish Conformity?
with a powerful psionicistlwizard at its
helm. The leader, known only as the Wraith, Members of the Bree undergo intensive
has direct and free access to the king. psionic programming and education from an
early age. They maintain an intense esprit de
The Bree is divided into three divisions. corps. They punish transgressors in their
The largest division is the Inquisitors, who organization by
secretly collect intelligence of value to the or magical powe
state. The second largest division is the
Readers, who analyze and compile the intel- How Do They Satisfy Their Audiences?
ligence from the Inquisitors. The smallest
group is the People’s Hand. This team is The Bree needs to please only itself and the
responsible for planning, implementing, and king. The paranoid tyrant it serves is
controlling covert operations and counterin- delighted with the constant stream of infor-
telligence. Any member of the Bree may mation, rumor, and innuendo provided by
commandeer the king’s soldiers for any pur- the Bree. Members of the Bree are not entirely
pose, at any time. certain why the king does not see the group
as a personal threat, but some speculate that
Do They Have an Advantage? the Wraith has more influence over the ruler
than the ruler has over his land.
The legal status of the members of the Bree,
as well as their powerful magical and psionic Who Are the Prominent Characters?
abilities, allow them to freely invade the lives,
minds, and property of citizens and foreign- The Wraith, LE, male half-elf, 10th level
ers. They usually accomplish their tasks with psionicist/lOth level wizard
such secrecy that the victims are unaware of
intrusion. Typical Inquisitor, LE, human, 6th level
psionicist or wizard
The Bree’s existence can lead to paranoia
ithin the state, a definite weakness that Typical Reader, LE, human, 5th level psion-
uld be exploited by a clever enemy. icist or wizard

How Do They Plan for the Future? Typical People’s Hand, LE, human, 8th
level psionicist or wizard
The Bree has planned for its future, indi-
vidually and organizationally.Members have The Levellers
sequestered enormous wealth used for the
benefit of their retirement. They have also cre- Hierarchy of ”freedom fighters,” once
ated imaginary threats to national security to chaotic good but now neutral evil.

What Do They Deliver? How Do They Plan for the future?

The Levellers are an underground army vVhile the Levellers all speak of the future
of self-proclaimed freedom fighters repre- and their cause with the deepest conviction
senting an alliance of ancient clans deposed and highest hopes, their plans and activities
from the throne. They wage a continual war do little to bring them closer to regaining the
of terror against the government and popu- throne. Their actions increase the oppressive
lace. They deliver fear and death to their tactics of the government’s response to their
opponents, and hope and pride to their violence. Lionsburr feeds on this endless
allies. sustained conflict. He is completely taken
with his own vision of the future, but would
How Do They Acquire Resources! be totally unprepared if given the opportu-
nitv to rule.
The Levellers require funds, safe-houses,
./
men, and weapons. They traditionally
How Do They Establish Conformity?
receive financial support from sympathetic
he Levellers are extremely efficient in
freemen and contributions from families ring the loyalty of their members. Any
infraction or perceived doubt on the part of a
and friends. Since their campaign has Leveller is treated as treason and punished
with death. Lionsburr’s followers are fright-
become more bloody, public support for the ened into complicity by his violence.

Levellers has diminished. They have turned How Do They satisfy Their Audiences?

to robbery, blackmail, and extortion to gen- The Levellers were once sensitive to public
opinion and attempted to portray themselves
erate income. Men are recruited from Lev- as victims to win the favor of the mob. Lions-
burr now sees the populace as ignorant chil-
eller families and secretive press gangs. dren who must be beaten into obedience. The
Levellers only worry about their own glori-
Weapons are purchased from marke- fied images.

teers and legitimate smiths. The Levellers increasing loss of public sup-
port may prove to be their downfall.
How Are They Organize
Who Are the Prominent Characters?
The Levellers have a hierarchical cell struc-
ture, where each cell is comprised of a small Lionsburr, NE, male human, 8th level
team with only one point of contact to another fighter.
cell. The group is headed by a charismatic
fighter named Lionsburr who claims to be the Typical Leveller, NE, human, 6th level
heir to the throne. fighter or thief.

Do They Have an Advantage?

The Levellers’ secrecy and willingness to
attack any target makes their work simple.
Generations-old myths, legends, and prophe-
cies all contribute to the group’s strength

A Catalog for Villains

rhis section serves as a source for ideas. In other villains want to gain magic for its own
tne beginning of this book, we established sake, while another group of villains use magic
our criteria for villains. In the following chap- to create enough political and economic security
ters, we clarified and made exceptions to to allow them to continuetheir magical research.
these rules. We now come back to the key
attributes of a villain and provide ideas for Wizardly power may inspire a villain with
you to generate your own villains. new ambitions. People often believe they
could an operation more efficiently than their
Sources of Power superiors if given the chance. One could eas-
ily imagine a wizardly counselor to a king
Earlier, we stated that a strong base of who controls his ruler and aspires to replace
power to bear against the heroes was one of him. Without the natural charisma or leader-
the requirements for an effective villain. This ship ability of the king, the wizard would be
section describes these power bases. forced to adopt tyrannical methods.

Wizardh A villain does not need to be a wizard to
draw upon the aid of magic. Bakshra, from
the earlier examples, was a warlord who by
way of alliance had access to the magical
power of the wizard, Fallor. Anyone with
enough money can have wizards on retainer.
This can be a dangerous practice, and it would
be safer for a leader to hire a handful of mid-
level wizards rather than one or two power-
ful wizards. A single, powerful wizard would
be too great a threat to a villain.

If a villain is not a mage, but makes use of
complex magical defenses or tools, you
should be able to logically explain how he
attained his power. Make certain any associ-
ated risks are consistent with the villain’s per-
sonality, and consider how this individual
arranges for his security.

Clerical

The most common form of power in a game is
the magic of wizards. The value of magical
power lies in its incredible flexibility. Some vil-
lains horde magic like a miser hordes money,

114 Chapter Ten

appeared in the air, an Handbook explains the creation of new priest-
hoods. When designing a cult, think about how
Clerical magic gains its power from the such restrictions might make the game more
planes beyond the world of the player charac- interesting. What if a cultist was trying to infil-
ters. Priests also acquire political, economic, trate the party of player characters, but was
and military power through the organization required to make a blood sacrifice every day to
of their church or cult. In addition, a cleric his god? How would the villain achieve his
might be able to call upon the greater power goals without losing the gods favor?
for direct intervention in his affairs. This adds
an implied threat to heroes who would med- A non-clerical villain who relies upon priests
dle in the affairs of an evil church. for power generally faces the same concerns as
non-wizards who rely on wizards. Fortunately
The other interesting aspect of clerical power for the villain, priests generally act in a manner
is the constraint it imposes upon the villain’s consistent with their religion. If a villain builds
behavior. Clerics face any number of restrictions his power from a lawfulcult, he may be exposed
on diet, weapons, and actions to remain in the to less personal danger as long as his goals are
good graces of a master. The Complete Priest’s consistent with those of the cult. Imagine a
would-be king who promises to officially sanc-
tion an evil cult as the state religion if the priests
assist in his rise to power.He might also promise
to authorize a bloody inquisition to eliminate

A Catalog for Villains 115

heresy or mount a massive crusade on behalf of with magic may have learned to disguise his
the cult. Occasionally, as is the case with the sor- methods as those of a mage.
cerer-kingsof Athas, a villain may actually lie at
the center of the priests' cult. The other interesting aspect of psionics is
that most psionic abilities are available to low
Psionic and mid-level psionicists. All psionicists are
specialists of sorts, and they face restrictions
We stood before the grand inquisitor regarding when and how they may acquire
defiantly. We had decided to teach him a abilities outside their area of concentration.
lesson. There are a number of powers with prerequi-
sites, but few powers have level restrictions.
'We have had enough of your harassing Consequently, a fairly low-level psionicist can
the people of this city. If you don't leave be a deadly specialist.A 1stlevel psionicist spe-
now, we are going to have to make you cializing in psychoportation can acquire the
go," I announced. ability to create dimension doovs similar to the
spell which a wizard acquires at 7th level.
"Is that a fact?" the inquisitor asked. He
seemed to be amused by our threats. I While psionicists are usually thought of as
elbowed our mage, Zinkle. hermetic loners, the capability of low level
psionicists to gain power quickly could pro-
"Show him, Zinkle," I commanded. vide incentive for small groups of psionicists
Zinkle drew a handful of powder from to work together. Additionally, the psionic
his pocket and began to make broad ges- abilities that allow several psionicists to com-
tures. The inquisitor watched him impa- bine their power would give additional incen-
tiently. Zinkle suddenly paused. tive for such a group to work together. By
"Uh, wait a minute, that's not it," h e class restriction, psionicists are never chaotic,
mumbled, and began to gesture again for a which makes it easier for you to build villain-
moment before stopping it all together. He ous organizations around psionic power.
whispered nervously, "I can't remember
the spell, captain." Psionicists are usually distrusted. It is rare to
"Well, try another." find a non-psionicist depending on psionicists
for their base of power. The Bene Gesserit in
"I can't remember anything. Wait, how Dune were an ancientsocietyof psionicists who
advanced their own organization's agenda and
about a trick?" he offered in vain. The insinuated themselves into affairs of state. They
inquisitor grinned and waked out. were rarely trusted by the villainous rulers.

Psionic ability has two distinct advantages. When psionics is widespread, a villain may
First, most players are not as familiar with welcome such assistance. In the DARK SUNQ
psionics as they are with magic. A psionic vil- campaign world of Athas, psionics is so wide-
lain is a wonderful change of pace for a psionic- spread that no self-respectingmerchant or gang
poor campaign, offering a staggering variety of leader would begin any undertaking without a
tools which catches most players off guard. psionicist's assistance. This is not motivated by
Many psionicists' powers have effects similar a villain's love of psionicists but fear of being
to magical spells, but they cannot be detected caught at a competitive disadvantage.
or dispelled. A clever psionicist in R world rife

116 ChapterTen

Naturally, psionics can be used to acquire 1villain with little individual ability can
other forms of power. Darth Vader gained acquire other forms of power through the
tremendous political power from his psionic extraordinary capabilities of his associates
mastery. The Complete Psionics Handbook Middlemen and brokers can act as villains,
details all of the powers awaiting your psionic such as a carnival barker traveling with a
villain, and the Dragon Kings book describes thieving strong man, or a villain who finds
psionic enchantment; this is a new type of mercenaries work in exchange for a cut of
power available to characters who have their fees. The personal trainer of a successful
attained 20th level as wizards and psionicists gladiator may gain political influence and
like the sorcerer-kings of Athas. wealth through the talents of his client.

Individual Ability (Skills)

While individual physical ability is often the Political power allows a villain to muster an
mly power available to a beginning player char- anny throw your player characters in prison, and
icter, it is generally a poor base for a villain's
power. Physical ability does little to mobilize an pass laws that serve his personal interests. The
xganization. Frequently, inckdible Strength, an villains with the greatest political power are often
extraordinary Dexterity, OF'a remarkable
Charisma enables a villain to accomplish great tyrants, like emperor Caligula of ancient Rome.
acts of treachery; bounty hunters, assassins, and
mercenaries sometimes rely upon unique physi- The most dangerous political villains often oper-
cal abilities. However, these individuals are ate behind a veil of legitimacy, like Prince John
unlikely to be found at the head of an organiza- the usurper in the legends of Robin Hood.
tion unless they can parlay their individual abil-
;ties into someothersort of power. Villains with a strong political power base

can make great campaign villains, particu-

larly if their power is founded in a villainous

organization. This might take the form of an

A Catalog for Villains 117

evil king in control of a corrupt bureaucracy, or military has, more than once, chosen to act
or a member of an evil network like the Zhen- independently of the government it serves.
tarim of the FORGOTTEN REALMSO setting.
Providing a villain with military power adds
Villains may not be rulers or despots, but still dimension and scale to any adventure. Even if
have political power; any ability to get other the villain is a petty noble or merchant with his
people to perform services is a form of political own private guard, the obstacles blocking the
power. A merchant who is able to have player PCs’ progress are immediately more challenging.
characters arrested, or an innkeeper who gets
the other innsin town to close their doors to the If you are interested in introducing large
party, both have a form of political influence. scale military conflicts into your game, the

Miiitary Power A D & P BATTLESYSTEMaMiniatures rules

and BATTLESYSTEM Skirmishesrules provides
the game mechanics to bring them to life. The
Castle Guide provides further insight into medi-
eval fortresses and sieges. Even if you are not a
regular player of miniatures battles, using the
basic BATTLESYSTEMrules to moderate the
climax of an adventure on a massive battlefield
can add excitement to the game. If you take the
time to familiarize yourself with the rules, you
can easily coach your players through game-
play. You can have additional fun with this by
allowing a guest player to run the villain’s
forces while you moderate combat.

Economic

A long and varied history exists
executing plans by force of
power is usually joined with
and, as in the example of

Military forces can be
lines within the same
saw it‘s army
more than

I 118 Chapter Ten

Economic power ranges from the ability to would be remiss in not mentioning it." We
control the flow of goods and services, to all listened intently.
sheer wealth. Economic power is a versatile
base for a villain; with enough money, a vil- "Certain forces within our community are
lain can purchase most other types of power. waging a vicious war on our neighbor to the
Likewise, an individual with some other form east. I don't know much about politics, but I
of power can usually use it to amass wealth. can tell you there are better ways to settle dis-
agreements than at the end of a sword!" Sev-
Merchants and producers can also control eral of the other performers stepped out onto
the flow of goods. This power can be used to the stage and chanted, "Stop Gonroll aggres-
starve whole cities, drive small entrepreneurs sion againstthe FalIorian Alliance!"
out of business, and influence public opinion.
Both the DARK SUN' and AL-QADIM' cam- I slid my helmet under my seat, but it
paign worlds include merchant character wasn't long before someone in the crowd
classes. When creating villains whose power recognized us. We ran for the side exit
is based on wealth, know the origin of the under a hail of vegetables and rotten fruit.
wealth and how it is maintained, renewed,
and increased. Many villains enter stories sit- In an earlier section, we talked about public
ting atop massive inheritances, but the villain opinion as a villain. The ability to influence
who has built his own wealth is more likely to public opinion can be a subtle and insidious
have his fingers in a number of plots, with the source of strength for a villain. Social power
intention of expanding his holdings. takes a variety of forms in a rolc-playing game;
it is most dangerous when an individual can
Don't overlook the power based in the abil- mobili7e a mob against the heroes. It can be
ity to control the flow of wealth. A villain can equally entertaining when an individual con-
build his power base on the economic power of trols public tastes and opinion through state-
others with nothing more than high Charisma. ments or controlled public forums. Community
leaders and entertainers often base their power
Social on social influence. Villainous opinion-leaders
can be seduced by the pleasure of offering their
opinions, and readily volunteer them even
when entirely groundless. Of course, a villain-
ous opinion-maker can use public opinion to
destroy anyone who stands in the way of his
personal agenda. Like psionics, these tech-
niques are surprisingly effective because of
their infrequent use.

(Un)Natural Power

It had been three weeks since Zinkle dis-
appeared on his journey to find Lady
Silith, the famous art dealer. He had
wanted her to appraise a work of art that

A Catalog for Villains 119

~

Some monsters would do well as thieves,
bounty-hunters, or assassins if they have the
inclination and can find the work. Dopple-
gangers have hired out as assassins.

Interesting alliances can arise between mun-
dane but ambitious villains who can strike
alliances with monstrous creatures. Like a
fighter who hires a wizard, these alliances can
result in the ultimate undoing of the villain as
easily as they can result in his or her advance-
ment. Fzoul Chembryl, the high priest of Bane
at Zhentil Keep in the FORGOTTEN REALMS@
setting has, to his advantage, made an ally of
Xulla, the beholder. On the other hand, Faust
and Melmoth (among others) were destroyed
by their evil alliances with malign entities.

Bad Objedves

Your draw from the MONSTROUS For game purposes, an objective is the goal
COMPENDIUM@may have a host of innate which turns your villain’s need into a plot.
powers or abilities. Powerful undead villains The following is a list of possible goals you
have devastating abilities that will set any party can use to develop an adventure. Each goal
of heroes running. The value of such talent listed here includes a number of possible plot
varies sigruficantlyamong the monstrous races. ideas which the goal might inspire.

In the section ”Monsters to Villains,” we Immortality
explained how to select a good monster for
development into a villain. We looked at the A wizard attempt a lich and
importance of intelligence, social environment,
and alignment. In a sense, monstrous abilities are hires a party to collect crucial components.
like a villain’s individual abilities in that they
help the villain parlay such abilities into other A warlord imprisons a sorcerer and demands
forms of power. Whether this takes the form of that to obtain his freedom he must develop
human followers or an organization of similar the magic necessary to confer immortality. A
creatures, a monster usually requires more than party is hired to free the wizard.
just its innate powers to become a master villain.
A party is called to prevent a ritual in which
However, as we mentioned in the section a dark priest of an evil god plans to achieve
on individual ability, lone professionals often deification.
become formidable villains either on their
own or in the service of an organization. An aging king seeks the company of vam-
pires to gain immortality.The king’s daugh-
ter hires a party to foil his plan.

120 Chapter Te

Wealth Magical Power

A doppleganger decides to enjoy the wealth A fraternity of religious fanaticswith a long his-
of one of its victims. The victim‘s heir sus- tory of bloody sacrificesplunder their victims’
pects something unusual when his “father” property to provide their economic support.A
suddenly changes his will. The party is victim’s relatives hire the PCs to infiltrate the
hired to investigate. organization to discover a way to destroy it.

A secret society is founded to make money A wizard summons an extraplanar being.
through extortion, and enforces its author- The creature breaks free of its master’s con-
ity by assassination and murder. A busi- trol, and the wizard hires the PCs to stop it.
nessman who is a friend of the adventurers
falls prey to this villainous organization. An evil cleric is driven to gain magical
power to raise his wife from the dead. The
A charming suitor pursues marriage with a woman’s father hires the PCs to stop him.
wealthy PC, planning to kill the PC and
seize the fortune. A psionicist gains the power to control peo-
ple’s thoughts. The PCs stumble across his
A local constablefrmes a poor farmer for mur- town, where he holds the entire population
der to acquirehisland.The PCsare hired by the under his influence. The free thoughts of
constableto help convict and evict the farmer. the party attract the attention of the villain.

Military/Political Power Revenge
The PCs are hired to protect the last heir of a
The disinherited son of the king vows to noble family under the curse of a dwarf who
take the throne. The PCs are hired by the was refused shelter decadesearlier.
king’s appointed heir to stop the rival.
A villain who has been imprisoned for years
A general to a tyrannical king organizes a escapes and vows revenge upon the sentenc-
faction of the army to overthrow the gov- ing judge. The PCs are hired by the constable
ernment. He hires the PCs to assist in his who originally captured the villain to track
campaign of ”liberation,” but reveals him- him down before he reaches the judge.
self to be as brutal as the current ruler. The
conflict may succeed in starting a civil war. A bitter fighter wants to exterminate all
halflings for having killed his father.
A group of corrupt merchants put forward a
candidatefor public office. Theincumbenthires A halfling PC becomes the target of a
fighter’s enmity.
the PCsto collect intelligence on his opposition.
A bard is attempting to poison townspeople
A political party terrorizes the populace to for having laughed him off stage.
remain in power. The PCs are asked to join an
underground alliance to destabilizethe power.

A Catalog for Villains 121

Self- Aggrandizement Bad Motives

A villain kills a popular ieaaer to gain a When we defined a villain at the beginning
reputation as a master assassin. The PCs are of this book, we explained that bad motives
hired to bring are the essence of villainy. We also s+id that a
bad motive was any nee
The PCs are invited to participate in a tour- expense of others’ welfare.
nament which a jealous knight sabotages to
gain victory. The knight, however, is very Each of the needs below is described in the
popular with the king. section on ”Defining a Villain.” Any of these
will serve as a motive for your villain.
A young group of adventurers plan to kill
the PCs to make their reputation as formi- Achievement Nurturing
dable mercenaries. Affiliation Order
Aggression Power
- iwo powerful wizards agree to meet in a Autonomy Succor
small town to duel for the title of Conjurer Exhibition Understanding
Supreme. The town fears destruction and Safety
hires the PCs to convince the wizards to
cancel the contest. Failing this, the wizards Bad Personality
are to be captured or slain.
Below are some personality traits and char-
love acter flaws that can be used as the fundamental
weakness of a villain. The DMG provides a
A young woman insists her lover perform table for randomly generating a non-player
character’s personality, which you can also use
crimes of increasingsavagery to prove hislove. to generate ideas for your villain’s personality.
The adventurers are hired by the town council A villain does not need to have an offensive
personality to be an effective villain; some of
to investigate the mysterious acts of mayhem. the great villains of literature have been
extremely polite or charming people. However,
Embittered after being jilted by a beautiful poor character makes a villain more unsympa-
princess, a knight kidnaps her and holds thetic, which is essential to any good adversary.
her for ransom. The unwitting PCs are When providing a villain with a contradictory
hired by the knight to escort his bride-to-be trait, remember that the intention is to make
through hostile territory. him more interesting, not more sympathetic.

In pursuit of love, a young wizard chams and AR
enslaves an entire town. The PCs are hired to
break the enchantmentand freethe community. Excessive pride, lack of humility or the fail-
But everyone loves the wizard, so. .. ure to see the limit of one’s abilities. Arro-
gance often results in the villain’s attempts to
A monster falls in lo usurp power, and is often veiled under for-
anyone who gets near he-

22 Chapte

I

mal politeness. The arrogant belief of Dr. he plotted with the English for its takeover. The
Frankenstein that he could create life created treason was exposed, and Arnold joined the
a series of tragedies ultimately ending in his British army. He was despised, even by the
death, as well as that of his creature. English people, for his betrayal.

Avaricious Nihilistic

Extremely greedy and stingy, with no ambi- Total denial of principles or institutions
tion or principle beyond the hoarding of valued by society. A nihilist believes no cause
money. In order to satisfy his passion for is worthy of action; it is evil in the form of
riches, a person may turn to a life of crime. emptiness. In the Odyssey, the Lotus Eaters
Goldfinger, the gold-smuggling villain in the tempted the men of Odysseus to give up their
Ian Fleming book of the same name, is driven
to commit unthinkable crimes in pursuit of for their homeland and loved ones
his desperate desire for more gold.
Envious
Compulshre/Obsessive
Resentment
To have an irresistible impulse. Bakshra, of another. In Wuthering Heights, Hindley has
our villain in the second chapter of this book, an immediate jealous hatred of an abandoned
is a compulsive man who makes a ritual of child, Heathcliff, brought home by his father.
eating dog meat every evening. Bakshra is This jealousy increases over the years and
also inordinately attentive to his health. results in misfortune.

Cruel/Sadistic Gluttonous

Pitiless and harsh, deliberately causing others Epicurean, sensualist, or devoted to luxuri-
to suffer and delighting in the cruelty. This is a ous living that satisfies appetites at the
common characteristic of villains. Nurse Ratched expense of everything else. The Roman
in One Flm Over the Cuckoo's Nest humiliates and Emperor Caligula's pursuit of lavish and ele-
mistreats her patients. The Marquis de St. Evre- gant absurdities led to problems in the empire
monde in Dickens' Taleof Two Cities runsover a and his eventual assassination.
child with his coach without remorse. In the
movie Marathon Man, the villain tortures his vic- Insane
timwith a dentist's drill, without anesthetic.
Madness, lunacy, one who behaves irra-
Duplicitous tionally. A person who is insane is frightening
and can be a fun villain. In Hitchcock's Psy-
Treacherous, deceitful, and unfaithful, a cho, Norman Bates is the classic psychotic vil-
despicable flaw. Benedict Arnold was a remark- lain. Alex in Fatal Attraction is another
able soldier during the American Revolution, example of neurosis in action. A sociopath or
but when he became commander of West Point psychopath can be a fearless and unpre-
dictable villain. But remember, these charac-

A Catalog for Villains 123

I

ters are generally static: They do not have the achieve one’s goal without regard for moral-
ability to transform or develop. ity or sentiment. In 17th-century England,
Jonathan Wild incited robbery, informed on
Intelligent the thieves, claimed the reward, and watched
them march to the gallows.
A strong or brilliant mind. Cunning genius
can be villainous when used for diabolical v
purposes. Fu Manchu used his intelligence to
plan cruel deaths for those who stepped in Slothful
the way of his ambitions. &azy and habitually indolent. A slothful

Deceptive villain can be dangerous when others are
relying on him to-perform some critical
Liars, false prophets, hypocrites and oath- action. Laziness often leads to negligence.
breakers given to untruth and deception. One
who feigns virtuous qualities. The cult leader Vain
Excessive conceit. The evil queen in Snow
JimJonesconvinced his followers of his divinity
White is so distraught by Snow White’s
and led them to their deaths. Moliere’s villain greater beauty that she plots the girl’s death.
Tartufe disguises himself with a mask of piety
and connives a wealthy merchant to give him Vindictive
property and his daughter’s hand in marriage. To seek r

Lustful Nights, the sultan vows to marry a lady every
day and have her head cut off the next morn-
Excessive sexual appetite. A foul witch
may assume the form of a beautiful princess Intolerant
to entice a knight into her lair. The daughter- Irrational suspicion or hatred of a particu-
in-law of the farm owner in Of Mice and Men
seduces Lennie, the half-wit. Her flaw leads lar group, race, or religion. History abounds
to her own death, as well as Lennie’s. with intolerant villains whose prejudice
resulted in the suffering- of innocents.
Manipulative
Concerned only with oneself, egocentric
To manipulate the perceptions of others for and egoistic. Selfishness is practically a pre-
one’s own benefit. The truth-shaper or spin requisite for a villain. Some historians
doctor. The Bene Gesserit in Frank Herbert’s attribute the decline of the Roman Empire to
Dune manipulated marriages to ensure the emperors who were concerned only with
birth of their messiah. their own pleasure and glory.

Opportunistic

To use every available opport nity to

124 Chapter Ten

'I? Acid
02 Adultery
Villain Tables 03 Ambush
04 Arson
These tables have been provided to help you 05 Assassination
randomly generate ideas for villains. The Gen-
eral Traits Table from the DMG has also been 06 Assault/beatings
included to give you some ideas for additional
personality traits. This chart can be particularly 07 Beheading
helpful when trying to find a contradictory
personality trait for your villain. os Betrayal/ treason

Table 1: Bad Methods (ld100) 09 Blackmail/extortion
While most villains want to maintain an 10 Blights/crop failures
11 Blinding
outward appearance of respectability, many 12 Bounty huntin
resort to despicable tactics to advance their 13 Branding
interests. This list catalogs some particularly 14 Breach of contract
nasty acts or unusual practices that can 15 Bribery
heighten the players' fear and loathing of 16 Burglary/ theft
17 Burning at the stake
wniir villain 18 Burying alive
19 Cannibalism

20 Charms
21 Cheating
22 Confidence scams

23 Conspiracy
24 Counterfeiting
25 Crucifixion
26 Curses
27 Desecration
2s Dismemberment
29 Drawing and quartering
30 Drought/famine
31 Drowning
32 Drugs/alcohol
33 Dueling
34 Electrocution
35 Espionage/ spying
36 Euthanasia, involuntary
37 Eviction
3s Execution, general
39 Fast-talking
40 Fine print
41 Flaying
42 Fortune-telling

43 Framing 83 Sacrifice, live 6. Revenge

44 Fraud/swindling 84 Scalping 7. Self-Aggrandizement

45 Gambling 85 Seduction 8. Love

46 Garroting/suffocation 86 Seizingproperty

47 Genocide 87 Selling their souls Table 4

48 Gossiping/sland 88 Setting traps Bad Motives (ld12)

49 Hanging 89 Shackling 1. Achievement

50 Hauntings 90 S1avery 2. Affiliation

51 Heresy/cults 91 Smuggling 3. Aggression

52 92 Spells, banefu 4. Autonomy

53 93 Stabbing 5. Exhibition

54 Illusions 94 Stalking 6. Safety

55 95 Gummoning 7. Nurturing

56 monsters 8. Order

disguise 96 Terrorism 9. Power

57 Imprisonment 97 Threats/harassment 10.Succor

58 Invasion/ warfare 98 Thumbscrews 11.Understanding

59 Kidnappin 99 Torture, general 12. Roll Again

60 Lechery IO0 Vhipping

61 Legal intimidation Table 5:

62 Libel/insults Bad Personality (ld20)

63 Looting Table 2: 1.Arrogant
64 Lying/perjury Source of Power (ld10) 2. Avaricious

65 Massacres 1. Wizardly Magic 3. Compulsive/Obsessive

66 Mercenariey 2. Clerical Magic 4. Cruel/Sadistic

67 Missiles 3. Psionics 5. Duplicitous

68 Muggin 4. Individual Ability 6. Nihilistic

69 Murder,general 5. Political Capital 7. Envious

70 Neglect 6. Military Strength 8. Gluttonous

71 Oppression 7. Economic Resources 9. Insane

72 Petrification 8. Social Influence 10. Intelligent

73 Plagues/disease 9. Unnatural Powe 11. Deceptive

74 Poaching 10. Roll Aeain 12. Lustful

75 Poisoning 13.Manipulative

76 Press gangs Table 3: 14. Opportunistic

77 Psionics, baneful Bad Objectives (ld8) 15. Slothful

78 Quackery/ tricks 1.Immortality 16. Vain

79 Racking 2. Wealth 17.Vindictive

80 Raising taxes 3. Military Power 18. Intolerant

81 Raising the dead 4. Political Power 19. Selfish

82 Rebellion 5. Magical Power 20. Roll Again

Table 6: GENERAL TRAITS Die Die
Roll 1 General Roll 2 Specific
loll 1 beneral Roll 2 Specific
(d20) Trait (%) Trait

01 Garrulous 31 Perfectionist 14 Optimistic Cheerful
32 Stern 66
02 Hot-tempered 33 Harsh Happy
03 Overbearing 34 Punctual 67 Diplomatic
04 Articulate 35 Driven 68 Pleasant
05 Antagonistic 69 Foolhardy
8 Friendly 70

06 Kind-hearted 15 Pessimistic Fatalistic

07 Elitist 71 Depressing
Cynical
08 Proud 72 Sarcastic
09 Rude 73 Realistic
i n Alnnf 74
75

Capricious Mischievou- L2 Hard-headed 76 Laconic
11 L3 Covetous 77 Soft-spoken
2 Impulsive k4 Avaricious 78 Secretive
13 Lustv 45 Thrifty 79 Retiring
14
5 80 Mousy

Careles 10 Generous 17 Sober
16 L6
17 Thoughtless L7 Wastrel 81 Practical
Absent- Spendthrift Level-headed
18 L8 Extravagant 82 Dull
19 minded 49 Kind Reverent
Dreamy 50 Charitable 83 Ponderous
20 84
No common 85
sense
11 Moody 18 Suspicious
Insensitive 51 86
52 87
Courag 53 Gloo 88 Scheming
54 Morose 89 Paranoid
21 Brave i5 Compulsive 90 Cautious
22 Craven Irritable Deceitful
23 Vengeful Nervous
24 Shy
25 Fearless 12 Naive 19 Uncivilized
91
Obseouious 92
93
CurlOUS 56 Honest 94 Uncultured
57 Truthful 95 Boorish
21 Inquisitive 58 Innocent Barbaric
2: Prying 59 Gullible Graceless
28 Intellectual 60 Hick Crude
29 Perceptive
30 Keen 13 Opinionated 20 Violent
61
)2 Bigote 96 Cruel
)3 Biased 97 Sadistic
Narrow- 98 Immoral
)4 99 Jealous
)5 minded 00 Warlike
Blustering
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